For 30 years, Deacon Dave's house has been the largest display of lights in the Bay Area. This year, its adorned with over 345,300 lights. Lines to see the display can be over an hour on busy days before Christmas. Plan accordingly. (Douglas Zimmerman / SF Gate)

The Tom and Jerry House on the steep incline of Castro Hill in San Francisco, is a little gingerbread Victorian, dwarfed by a 65-foot-high tree covered in lights and surrounded by gift-wrapped boxes.The display is meant to embody the Holiday Spirit for all who choose to view it. Santa makes an appearance almost nightly before Christmas Eve. (lightsofthevalley.com)

3650 21st St. San Francisco, San Francisco County, 94114

The Tom and...

3650 21st St. San Francisco, San Francisco County, 94114 The Tom... Photo-3903349.53995 - SFGate

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120 Benedict Ct. Martinez, Contra Costa County, 94553

The window display at this house consists of animated figures the owner has been collecting for years. The yard display has a merry go round, a Ferris wheel and numerous other lighted figures. (lightsofthevalley.com)

Thousands of multi-colored lights coming down from 35 feet above the roof. The display includes animated lighted characters, handmade wood figures painted by local children in the past. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This two story house near Santa Clara University is all lit up with a lot of lights and fake snow to create a wintry feel. You could almost think you're in the New England countryside. (lightsofthevalley.com)

The house has several animated dioramas including mechanical polar bear singing Christmas songs, backed up by a band of panda bears and other instrument-wielding animals. There's also a Ferris wheel with popular cartoon characters and a Santa's workshop with a bearded mouse inside. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This house is one of many creating a walking neighborhood display. For two blocks neighbors decorate their houses, making for a nice holiday stroll, especially on weekends when many homeowners sit outside their homes and explain their displays to visitors. (lightsofthevalley.com)

For 34 years Widmer World (aka Bob's World Two) has been decorating his house. The owner encourages visitors to get out of their car and come behind the house, where most of the lights are on display. (lightsofthevalley.com)

The hundred or so residents of Picardy Drive in East Oakland illuminate their tudor-style houses with an unbroken string of lights, in a holiday tradition that dates back nearly 80 years. The display is meant to symbolize warmth, friendship and unity. (Douglas Zimmerman / SF Gate)

A 25 foot tall Christmas tree of lights, suspended from the limb of an 80-year old sycamore tree. Each of the tree's 3200 lights can change into one of 4096 colors. The light show is choreographed to music and the music is transmitted to 92.9 FM. (lightsofthevalley.com)

For 43 years Les and Patty Mizes have turned their house into an annual Christmas display. Dubbed, the Mickey Mouse Christmas House for its huge display of Disney memorabilia, and features over 200,000 lights. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This court is in the middle of a 2 block area (Treeside / Woodside) that is called Parkway Estates. It is well known in South San Francisco for its decorations. Nearby over a hundred single family homes are decorated for the holiday season. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This is a 28-foot-long Batmobile that was built for Halloween, and now has been transformed into a Santa Sleigh. It was built using only recycable materials, like water and wine bottles, lawn edging material, mesh wire, used wooden pallets, empty boxes covered with black plastic, and paper-mache. It has several solar panels for night illumination. (lightsofthevalley.com)

The lights have 128 independently controlled channels that make over 40,000 Christmas lights, flood lights, four 20 ft Water Cannons, a 25 ft Long waterfall, and 2 trees dancing in sync to the music. Viewers wishing to share in the magic need simply to drive up, tune to the posted radio station and enjoy their own personal light show with friends and family. Runs Nightly from 6-10:30 PM. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This is the 12th year for this animated display. It has won the Gilroy Christmas display contest 5 years in a row. There are 17 Bells about 3 feet wide that toggle to two bell songs and Santa in a huge sleigh on the roof along with 7 Reindeer. The lights and music are programmed together to produce a complete show of Christmas songs. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This display is know as Reflections of Christmas. The Lighting display is best viewed from the rear of the house where it is reflected in a lagoon. Drive or walk across the lagoon on Auginbaugh Way near cross street Mecartney Road. (lightsofthevalley.com)

This house has been decorating for several years with the Nightmare Before Christmas Scheme. The Holiday display is hand-painted with great detail and lit from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM nightly. (lightsofthevalley.com)

An 18 year tradition, this house with victorian figurines is part of a Walking Neighborhood. There are a number of well decorated homes in the immediate vicinity. (Tom Gaughan thomasgaughanphotography.com / lightsofthevalley.com)

Since 1940, the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Ave. has been known as Christmas Tree Lane with each house on the street decorated. Each house also has matching live Christmas Trees lining the street, each lit with colored lights. From Saturday, December 15th 2012 through December 31th, Christmas Tree Lane will be lighted each night from 5:00 pm to 11 pm (lightsofthevalley.com)